131 The Sonata was written shortly after his escape, while living in Tashkent (Uzbekistan). Premiered by the great pianist Emil Gilels, this work shows Weinberg's early mastery. This sonata is a powerful work, combining deep emotion with virtuoso technique. It balances the grotesque and the lyrical, with motoric rhythms reminiscent of Prokofiev but a harmonic shadow that is uniquely Weinberg’s. It combines Jewish and Russian influences, klezmer/folk melodies, with complex harmonic classical structures and counterpoint. Franz Weisz (1893–1944): Suite for Piano Op. 2 (1922) I. Traum II. Tanz III. Idylle IV. Arabeske Ferenc (Franz) Weisz, was a Hungarian-born pianist and composer trained at the National Conservatory, where he excelled in piano and composition. After World War I and due to rising antisemitism in Hungary, he moved to Amsterdam in 1920, joining a network of émigré musicians. There he built a career as pianist, teacher, and composer, performing mainly his own works and gaining recognition as a respected piano pedagogue. A prolific composer, he wrote dozens of piano works and chamber pieces, though most remained unpublished. During the Nazi occupation, Weisz was persecuted as a Jew, deported to Westerbork and Theresienstadt, and murdered in Auschwitz in 1944. Much of his music was lost. Weisz was a pianist of the "old school," and his music reflects the grand Romantic tradition. The Suite is lush, technically demanding, and highly expressive. It evokes the sound world of Liszt and Rachmaninov. As with Hillesum and Smit, Weisz’s work was nearly lost. This piece is a reminder of the virtuoso tradition that was silenced in the camps. Jewish Composers
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